Monthly Archives: November 2014

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A new rival is up, which is the market of device which can be used as the same function of cash. Some people think it’s not safe enough like the example of “Apple Pay suffered a blow when celebrity nude photos were purloined from its iCloud network”, so they may prefer cash more than a device. Some people think cash is still not convenient enough for this fast economic environment.

Nymi Heart Bracelet 20130912

In my opinion, cash is still necessary for now. Some small stands, which sell products beside the road, may not have the machine for the device. And there are still lots of people, who worry about hackers, who have ability to still their money from internet. People may use the mobile phone as their purses right now, but is it really safe? Have you ever worried about it?

Therefore, two biggest problems need to be solved right now are the convenience and the security. And another big issue is people have already gotten used to trade in cash, and habit is always difficult to be changed.

However, a high-security device can take the place of cash when the technology achieves that level. It will bring us higher efficiency and save the resource of making large number of cash. This will bring the world a new system of trade in our daily life. This may also make people to use the same machine in different countries, which may influence the currency market in the future as well.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/farewell-to-cash-expect-it-to-be-a-very-long-goodbye-don-pittis-1.2829837

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/the-international-movement-for-the-end-of-cash-1.1202565

Social entrepreneurship is the process of create and sustain social benefit. They may invest a little money to people in the developing countries and they can use that little money to create more values. This does not only help those people to create the money for themselves, but also provide an opportunity to create a better living environment for the local area, like hospitals, education, transportation and local economic environment level. What Arc is doing is similar, which is “seeks to change the model by creating programs that build local business management and leadership capacity.”

So if the United Nations was fully funded, why do they still need Arc or Social enterprise? In my opinion, first reason, like economics, there must be niche market where are ignored because of environment, war or they are not a member of the United Nations. So Arc and entrepreneurs can do the job where the United Nations cannot touch. Although the United Nations is consist of lots of countries, but this also represents there must different voices in this organization.

Secondly, for area where is in the war, the United Nations may represent an opposite character to the local military, and that is the time for Arc or social entrepreneur to help build the local new business model and structure because they do not have a government background, because they do the job of social enterprise is only because they can contribute the society, like build a better living conditions, education and health care for people who need the help, and earn the profit at the same time. Maybe earning profit does not matter anymore at last for those social entrepreneur, and the contribution to the whole society will be their main purpose.

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative/About_ARC

http://skollworldforum.org/about/what-is-social-entrepreneurship/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_entrepreneurship#International_presence

People may say Microsoft Band has a totally different function from iWatch, why are comparable? Actually, they are both used on your wrist, which make them into substitutes.

PoP:

– Both looks beautiful with the newest design, including the high technology factors inside.

– Both have e-mail, message, and incoming calls services.

– Both have a GPS and able to link to cellphone.

– Both have abilities to provide some helps on health of the user.

PoD:

Microsoft Band:

1. More focus on health services the Band can provide.

2. it’s narrower than iWatch, so customers may feel more comfortable when they wear it.

3. Different design and different system will attract customers with a different preference.

4. …

Apple iWatch

1. You can download different apps online, so it has more functions like a mini smartphone.

2. The design is still close to the tradition, but there are different colors and different choices of watchband.

3. …

So which one will you choose?

Honestly, I will choose Microsoft Band because it has what I want. If I want a multi-functional portable device, my cellphone will do the job; however, what I need is released myself from cellphone. iWatch is just another small cellphone to me with a small scream and same function. Comparing the advertisements of both products, iWatch has a better using areas, but I still want the Microsoft Band because I have already get a cellphone, which can provide all the same function, so I see it as a waste of money.

However, there are still lots of people, who like iWatch. So different preferences decide different customer segment, and for different demand, customers make different choices.

http://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-band/en-us?ocid=MSCOM_HP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shirth1OjRE

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From class 19, we learned how employees of Zappos enjoy their working places and how it helps to make a higher quality of services and higher efficiency.

But is this method work for a big company like Google totally as well? Since Google has so many employees and employers, if Google wants to provide free meals and free vending machines to keep those skilled worker and make them incentive to work efficiently, the total cost will be extremely high.

However, Google can do other things to make its employees into a strong and unbreakable team, and employees are willing to do their job. For examples, Google makes the working place like a holiday place, and they build their offices according to the local culture of where the office is located. ‘A pub-style lounge in Dublin, Ireland’, ‘a terrace with a view in New York, N.Y.’, ‘bringing the outdoors in—London, U.K.’, or ‘a tatami meeting room in Tokyo, Japan’, those special working place can enlarge the imagination of workers, so more ideas will come out, a good environment and atmosphere can always bring them a high working efficiency.

Employees will be more incentive to work, and they will have a positive attitude to their clients; therefore, clients will be more satisfied because of the good attitude and high efficient work, so there will be indirect promotions and the brand will be more famous.

In conclusion, it does not matter whether to use an exactly same method as Zappos’ or Google’s, but the key is managers need to find the most suitable way to let employees like their jobs and be incentive to do it well. As long as a manager creates a way to make employees into a team and let the team work well, the manager can do anything creative and new to encourage employees and make the whole company into a better future.

http://www.google.ca/about/company/facts/culture/

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/14/happy-feet

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‘This Sunday, Air Canada starts charging $25 for the first checked bag for domestic economy-class travel.

———————“CBCnews’’

The carry-on crack down and the $25 for the first checked bag are what customers do not want to see. They are counted as pains of customer, and Air Canada does not alleviate it but worse the situation. The rising cost and checking bag make customers hostile, and if other airline companies do not do the same thing as Air Canada, there may be a customer flow from Air Canada to other companies.

To check bags are also a hard job for agents because they receive the first feedback from customers, which are mostly negative and abusive. Although Air Canada is looking for volunteers for the job, but agents still do not like the job for now.

More important thing is “ WestJet began charging a similar fee on Thursday.” This is the first airplane company, which does the same thing after Air Canada started it. If the other air companies keep doing the same thing, customers may finally accepted the price and the carry-on crackdown because airplane companies has a strong selling power, and customers do not have enough buying power to negotiate with airplane companies.

‘Lazar believes Air Canada will continue its crackdown and, in six to nine months, “most [passengers] will become accepting of it and the hostility will die down.”’ But it still may be a chance for other airplane companies from outside of Canada, which try to get into Canada market.

The market share of different airplane companies may be changed according to the new price setting in future. But those are just my speculation for now.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-service-agents-call-carry-on-crackdown-too-unpleasant-1.2818573

Xin Liu

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Monthly Archives: November 2014